PRINCESS ANNE, Maryland -- It may have taken four prior attempts but the Hawks of the University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES) got their first win of the 2015-16 campaign and with it gave their coach, Bobby Collins, his 200th career win. UMES avenged last season's road loss to Saint Francis (PA) with a 70-57 senior led effort."We were really focused," said head coach Bobby Collins. "It took a bad loss earlier this week to get their attention, but if we play the way we are capable of we can get their attention and they can understand that the things we do work when our team listens. It was important to get this win under our belt."
The Hawks may have a young team, but senior leadership stepped up tonight as pre-season All-MEAC selections Dominique Elliott (Savannah, Ga.) and Devin Martin (Baltimore, Md.) combined for more than half of the teams points, netting 39 in all, 21 from Elliott and 18 from Martin. It wasn't just in the scoring column however, as Martin made sharp passes and defensive stops to add four assists and four rebounds to his stat line while Elliott added a team high eight caroms to go with two assists. Elliott's 21 was a game high and included a perfect two-from-two from deep to extend the defense around the Hawks' senior center.
UMES went big in the starting lineup, inserting 6-8 junior Josh'ua Warren (Marietta, Ga.) to pair up with Elliott and junior Bakari Copeland (Decatur, Ga.). Warren and Copeland both added eight points each and 11 combined boards. The all Georgia front line held the Red Flash to just under 38% shooting for the game and outscored Saint Francis (PA) 42-24 in the paint.
"I am pleased with this great win," added Collins. "We knew [Warren] was capable, he had been having a great week. He makes [Elliott] play within himself and play comfortably. So when Josh is on, coaches have to decide, `who are you going to stop', defenses have to pick their poison."
That up close and personal shooting for UMES was to the tune of 54.5%. The Hawks, who normally rely on three-point shooting, didn't need it tonight with the inside presence, and connected on just four threes, including the two from Elliott. While the inside scoring ease was a factor, the Hawks only made six trips to the free throw line, but connected on all six, for a perfect mark.
"We didn't need a lot of threes tonight," said Collins. "We shot a high percentage because they gave us those looks inside and we didn't get fouled a lot so we didn't take a lot of free throws. We know our post can score with intensity, early and often and now we just need to do it every night."
On the other side, the Red Flash couldn't get going as leading scorer Ben Millaud-Meunier was 0-7 from the field, making just three free throws. Second leading scorer and former Wicomico High School player Greg Brown didn't suit up. So the Red Flash turned to Isaiah Blackmon, younger brother to UMES' Mark Blackmon. Isaiah led Saint Francis in scoring with 17 while forward Ronnie Drinnon had 15 points and a game-high 13 rebounds.
The Hawks led the game for more than 31 of the 40 minutes, up by as many as 15. There were nine lead changes, but just one tie, which occurred less than a minute into the game after Elliott got a lay-in off a Martin pass. He was fouled and then converted the free throw for the Hawks' first lead. Blackmon, who scored the opening basket, gave the Red Flash the lead right back and they would maintain it for the next six minutes. Martin netted a leaning jumper at the 13:15 mark to give UMES a 14-13 lead. From there they would go up by as many as seven before the Red Flash cut it one at the break.
The Hawks pushed the second half lead to ten just three minutes in. They went back and forth with Saint Francis (PA) but extended it back to ten, 57-47 with 8:30 left to play. UMES took their largest, lead, 15 with just over four minutes to play on a Martin lay-in before The Red Flash's Ifeanyi Umezurike got a jumper in the paint. UMES answered with a dunk from Elliott to push it back to 15. Saint Francis made the final margin 13 on a Georgios Angelou jumper, 70-57.
The Hawks will now face one of their tougher opponents in Georgetown on Tuesday at 7 p.m. in The Verizon Center, televised live on Fox Sports 1. That game is the first of seven straight road contests for the Hawks, making it that just two of their first 12 contests are home in the Hytche Center.
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COURTESY UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND EASTERN SHORE SPORTS INFORMATION
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